Deep into Spain's POOREST & Most Desolate Region

In this video, we return on foot to the vast and empty lands of central Spain to tell a story, an odyssey that brings us to a vanishing world where echoes of the past outnumber the voices of the present. You see, Europe has a problem. The old world is vanishing, its traditions, its people, and its authenticity. As the boomer generation ages, birth rates continue to plummet, and foreign immigration surges, reshaping the entire demographic makeup of Europe. The rural soul is silently slipping away, and I know that this is happening across Europe, not just Spain. With every step, I meet the last of a rapidly aging population, keepers of stories, customs, and a way of life that may not survive this century. We often associate these types of videos with Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union, as made famous by Bald and Bankrupt, but I've discovered that right here in Western Europe, it's just as relevant. Join me on an adventure into the empty Spain, and let me show you what I'm talking about. Welcome back to the ancient city of Cordoba, formerly known as the Califato de Cordoba. During the medieval age, under Muslim rule, this was Western Europe's most populated and intellectually advanced city. Wow. But as you guys know, we're not interested in the city so much, but rather, the deep Spanish countryside, so let's go back on an adventure into what's called La España Vaciada, or the Empty Spain. But first, take a look at the layered history. This is a Roman wall, because yes, before the Muslims were here, the Romans were here, and now there's a lot of tourists here. Yeah, do you guys like Cordoba? Yeah, we love it. It's so great. Where are you guys from? The United States. I'm from Wisconsin. Oh, weird. What are you guys' first impressions of this city, then? I love it. It's so peaceful. Yeah? Is it your favorite city in Spain? Yes. So far, yeah. It's definitely top, like, two. Why do you like it so much? It has everything you need. Ladies, I'm going to march on an ancient, epic journey deep into the countryside, so I'll see you in another life. Where are you going in the countryside? The deepest of the deepest of Spain. Oh, wow. Wow, some fellow countrywomen there. Jesus. You can't go to Cordoba without seeing the famous mosque cathedral, a symbol of power, faith, and conquest. Within its elegant arches and red and white columns lies a history of humiliation, resistance, and echoes of a clash between civilizations. In 997 AD, the Muslim general Al-Mansur launched a brutal raid on Santiago de Compostela, one of Christianity's holiest sites. His troops sacked the city, and in an act of utter humiliation, he tore the cathedral's bells from the tower and forced Christian slaves to carry them on their backs, step by step, over 1,000 kilometers back to Cordoba. In the 21st century, the rhetoric has always been about European colonization and conquest. Europeans are the quote-unquote bad guys. But let's not forget that conquest has been a repeating element of human history over and over again. In 2025, questions of identity, culture, and power are being asked once again. Is the continent witnessing a new kind of conquest, not by the sword, but by demographics and ideology? As Europe struggles with immigration, religious tensions, and shifting demographics, the lessons of Cordoba remind us, history does not disappear. It simply waits to repeat itself, if we allow it. These are the things I think about as I hobble across the uneven cobblestones laid by the city council workers of Spanish cities whilst tourists pose for Instagram photos. The Camino is much deeper than a simple journey across ancient Roman paths. It's a life lesson that keeps us grounded and makes us reflect on the things that are far more important than views and likes. We've made it out of the city, back into the beautiful countryside. And you know, while for me the history of this is very interesting, all the nerdy stuff, I understand that it's not that interesting for everyone, right? But what is interesting are the encounters. And so the focus of this adventure, and all of my adventures, is about the people. So I actually see something interesting over here, like some informal housing. Maybe we should go check it out and see what it's all about. Let's go. In the Spanish countryside, beneath olive trees and forgotten roads, lay the informal shantytown inhabited by Roma gypsies. These particular gypsies happen to be from Romania, and literally and figuratively live on the fringes of society. Some Spaniards will tell you, their gypsies aren't like ours. A contradiction to some, they're skilled craftsmen, musicians, traders, and keep century-old traditions alive. To others, they're a symbol of crime and disorder, associated with pickpockets and squatting. To me, I almost always find them friendly, whether I meet them in Albania, Romania, or Spain. There's something I really admire about these Roma gypsies, their resilience and persistence to live the way in which they desire. In other words, to not give a f**k. In a time where we are forced to conform and follow the system, these people find ways to keep one foot in, and one foot out. Perhaps there isn't an ethnic group that has faced more discrimination than them in recent decades, yet they continue to live how they want. A mi manera, as they say in Spanish. As you can see, I peacefully left with my underwear intact and shoes still being worn. The journey continues. So far, we've seen Romanian gypsies and Mr. Juan. The countryside is full of characters. It is just a place that you can go and meet people, the friendliest people in the world. So the saga as follows. Who can we meet on this epic journey in the deepest of Spain? Let's keep finding out. Look what I found here. Look at all these tomatoes. You know how many liters of gazpacho that is? The world's greatest drink, gazpacho. And then check this out over here. We have hundreds of eggplants. Look at all these eggplants. Little short chodi eggplants. This must be someone's massive pile of compost or the scraps for the pigs. Yeah, we are getting into pork territory. Pork o'clock, as Harold Balder says. And you know, part of that reconquest, right? The Christians retaking their land back is introducing pork into the culture and the cuisine of the Iberian Peninsula. Well, I've just been walking through these rolling plains and I met a friend here. Hello. Hola. Como estas? What a beautiful dog out here. Yeah, this is really beautiful land. It's way different than what we saw on the last video where we just saw olive trees everywhere. These are acorn trees, basically transitioning to a different type of vegetation here. Cuántos años tiene usted? Ahora voy a cumplir 78. Como tu abuelo. Tu padre, tu abuelo. Cuéntame, qué es la clave para una vida larga, para vivir una vida feliz y larga para ti? Qué ha sido clave? La clave para vivir feliz en muchos años, mi mamá. Porque antes era muy malo. Era un mafioso. Antes, en los años 60, 70, no había tanto control de policía. Había mucho tráfico de droga. Y yo estaba metido en eso. Maestro derecho. Y ahora, soy muy bueno. Sí, eres un ángel. Ángelito. Jorge Elliot. Elliot. Sí. Bye bye. That was hilarious. Just a wonderful old French man. I tell you, it's all about the people you meet. It's not about the history. The history is a part of it. The physical pain is a part of it. But the best part are the encounters. And there's something that's so fascinating about the Spanish culture. That guy was from Switzerland, right? Switzerland's not known for being the country with the friendliest people. But because he's culturally Spanish, he's been here for 45 years, the guy is totally different. And so it's that cultural connection we have that is Spain. We're connected through Spain. I know nothing about Switzerland, but the fact that we both speak Spanish, you can see the connection you make because of this Latin culture. It's something that Anglos, we don't really understand the same way. All right, guys, this is where we're staying for the night. Incredible. Look at the decor. 30 euros. Looks like I'm the only one here, which is the way it usually is. Oh, yeah, this will do. Oh, this will do. Good morning from the village of Cerro Murriano. This is what it looks like on a cloudy overcast day. Last night, I got to the hotel. I spoke with the owner, Juan Jose, and it just so turns out that he is a lover of history and he knows about all the history in this town, including the fact that the Romans exploited this copper mine. Later, the British did in the 19th century. And later on, there was a very important event in Spanish history and world history for that matter regarding the Spanish Civil War. Robert Capo, who worked beside Ernest Hemingway in the Civil War, the Spanish Civil War, and he's basically the one who created the first photographs of live action during wars, and basically that transformed the world of photojournalism. Look at these mountain men. They're in their 60s. They've been friends their whole lives. They just walk every single day. Look at him. He's an explorer. I hope I'm this way when I'm in my 60s. These guys are saying all their problems are solved when they get to this place. A really nice upbringing. Post-Civil War. Born in the 1960s. Grown up here. Roaming these hills here. What a nice childhood it would have been. What I found most strange was that there was an open-mindedness. At that time, I was studying at a school for priests called the Lasalle School in Córdoba, and the feeling we had was that freedom could quickly turn into libertinism, which worried us a lot because we saw that it could very quickly derive from the freedom to do things. We didn't understand it very well either, because for us, in my case and all my friends, we felt totally free. Because, of course, we had grown up in the encasillamiento, and since we had no intention of getting out of there, we were totally free there. The good thing is that people were happy and wanted to have children, because a child meant a wealth in the house. Today, a child is a problem. And as long as they continue to pass laws that change the mentality a bit, however, at that time, it was a wealth to have children, and people had many children. The idea of numerous families was also put in motion. I felt proud of that numerous family, because we were four brothers. You guys were in the kitchen of his restaurant. This is how the ladies do the food for the day. She's doing the french fries a mano. All of them homemade. Almendras fritas. Breadcrumbs. Like a pudding. That's why the homemade restaurants or the home-cooked restaurants here are the best. These ladies spend hours prepping all day long, and everything's made by hand. Nothing from the supermarket. It is amazing. No, bueno. Churros. Spanish churros. Con chocolate. Thank you. That's it, folks. Just made a new friend. Hopefully, we'll see him in the future, but, you know, I've made so many of these encounters over the years that I need to revisit dozens of people. It's impossible to find time to do all that. You know, I got so many people from the Canary Islands up to Basque Country or Galicia, and that is what it's all about. I keep saying that that is what it's all about. We're back into the countryside. He drove me out a little bit because I spent three, four hours with him, and I'm already late, so I had to cut this a little bit short today. So instead of going 20 kilometers, I'll go like 15. So I found this little restaurant out here in the countryside, and we got the breadcrumbs with the chorizo and the pork rinds, and then the famous from Cordoba. It's going to be delicious. How is it to be in a small village? So you like this over Malaga? More than Malaga? Yeah, beach. Bueno, Gana. Nice to meet you, bro. Thank you for serving me. All right, brother. God bless you. There's a lot of these workers that are working out in these fields out here, so I actually didn't expect that. It was an interesting surprise. I got to this town called Villa Urta. Check it out. And I'm looking for shelter. Everything's closed, but these guys here helped me out. They told me that the water here is medicinal. It's got iron in it. It tastes really bad, or it tastes strong. They said it can heal any injury you have. They said it's magical, and it's only in this region, so we're going to try some water. Rafa's here listening to a football game on the radio. Check this out. ¿Prefieres esto que la televisión? Yeah. The people here are so friendly. People from the country. Let's check out the bar. Radio. You guys remember that movie Radio with Cuba Gooding Jr.? The movie Radio. This is the radio of the village. Mr. Radio. Sí. This is what I see in Sevilla, these really thin glasses, and then I wondered why they pour them a half cup, but there's a tradition that he's going to explain to us. ¡A lo bueno! All right. What a machine. Yeah, foam basically converts the liquid in your mouth. ¡Increíble! We're going to try the sacred water. Holy water. Holy water. Oh my god. It tastes like Oh, it's like electric. Electricidad. All right. Gana, your turn. One of these truck stop hotels. It's the only thing I could find. Everything was closed, but those guys brought me on an adventure. One of those guys there, he's like, come on, I made a joint for you, and I don't smoke like that anymore, so I puffed a little J, and next thing I know, we're driving through the countryside, through the deep countryside, and it was just nuts, and we've been doing circles around the countryside for like an hour, two hours actually, but finally I made it here. I'm safe, and this was 43 euros. It's a bit expensive, eh? That's quite expensive. So I am just shattered. Tomorrow we got 33 kilometers, and again, man, the encounters. That's what it's all about. I didn't get one little beer, so cheers to you guys. Cheers. See you guys in the morning. Good morning, guys. I got a great nice sleep last night after that little bit of Mary Jane from the countryside. Look how much water is in this part. Oh, look at this. There's a little horse here. We are straight up in Hickville out here, you guys. This is getting to be real Spanish countryside redneck. Hola. How are you? People here in the countryside, well, they have all sorts of backgrounds and political beliefs. Andres back there told me he grew up born in 1960 in absolute poverty. He grew up in a straw mud house, as we see one of these old abandoned houses out here in the distance. Maybe it was that one, and he basically said they didn't talk about politics at all. His parents were illiterate. They were smart, but they were literate, and they earned around together six euros equivalent a month. And this land was divided into massive farmlands where, you know, a few landowners owned everything, and, you know, the peasants worked the fields. I thought for some reason everyone here is a right-winger, but there's just about everything. And he says also, interestingly enough, in certain parts, like certain valleys, it's divided into right and left, and then before and after the civil war, they flip-flopped. So things have changed a lot around here. Nothing's black and white. People did live in absolute poverty, and people still, you know, have to work really hard out here. It's not like living in the city. People don't like to live off government handouts out here. They do work the fields alongside the immigrants, and, you know, this is the lifestyle out here in the mountains. Alright, we've ran into a problem here. Since it rained last night, the river is actually a lot higher than it normally would be. I think these are little stepping stones, but I can't see. They're inundated, so I think I'm just gonna have to take the boots off because I don't want to get the boots wet, and I can't really tell how deep it is. Let's test out the water. Oh, it's cold. So far, so good though. Really sandy. I think there's... Oh, it gets deep. It's getting deeper. We're gonna go little by little. The boots can't get wet. The last place I expected this was Andalusia. It's at the knees right now. Gotta be careful not to trip. This sort of gives you an idea, a little bit of the feeling of flash flooding if you're stuck in the street, but in a street, there's way more debris, dangerous objects underneath, way more panic. I'm just gonna let the stick go at this point. I think we're good. Alright, we're gonna be alright. That was fun. Finally, we made it to the village. So in terms of hotels, I just kind of get to the place and hope that something's open. So we have the place called Hostal Jotas, and this is like the local bar. This is the second day in a row we're gonna go with some strangers and go see life in the village. This guy's picked 34,000 kilos. He's had a great year, you know? So one of the reasons olive oil has been up is the problem of the other markets undermining their markets, but also because of droughts, right? So olive oil in Spain, contrary to what you believe, has been very expensive, right? I remember coming here, a liter of olive oil was a couple of euros, and now it's been, you know, 9, 10. So we have these two machines here. This one he said is worth 2,000, and this one's 1,200 euros. And they work together, and then at the end of it, you use this stick to knock the last olives off. And then obviously before machinery, not that long ago, they did it one by one, the trees, one by one with these sticks. This is way faster, way faster. These are hundred-year-old trees. You see how thick they are? Oh, wow. Yeah. Wow. Uh-huh. Well, they told me they do that 40 or 50 times a day. Pretty fun, actually. But if I had to work out here all day, of course, I would say it different. But this is life for these guys out here. Even in summers, though, to make enzimil, he's got to go to, like, Mallorca to work as a cook. This is a Spanish sunset. Sí. Muy leal, eh? Vale. Wow. Jose there, he talked about the loyalty of his dog. He says all dogs aren't made equal because a lot of people out here have hunting dogs. And he said some of these places have dozens to hundreds of dogs used for what's called montería, which is a word for hunting, right? And if those dogs were to get loose, they would kill all the little baby sheep. And again, this guy told me that, yeah, life was tough here in the 60s. His parents had to immigrate to Germany, send money back, and then, you know, things got better little by little. But when I first learned there was a hike through this part of Spain, this is kind of what I imagined. Not the green forests, all the water, the rugged mountains. This is what I imagined. So as you get into the interior, the meseta, this is kind of what Spain looks like. Of course, you go through little different variations, different mountain ranges, etc. But this is much more pleasant to walk on because it's soft, you know, straight. It's not rugged. And then when you get to this type of land, you can sort of up the kilometers, up the miles, and it's not that hard going. You got to prevent yourself from getting blisters. But yeah, here we are entering the great plains of Spain. Somos campesinos. They're friendlier than anywhere I've been in Spain. But out here, where there's very few tourists, like this is so desolate, they're just always curious about who's passing through and they just want to talk to you. It's really, really refreshing. As soon as we cross, we'll almost be in Extremadura. As we traverse through the empty villages, it becomes clear that we are witnessing the end of an era. The countryside, once full of tradition, is fading into history. Some reports say there are up to 3,000 abandoned villages and hamlets across Spain. I know this isn't just happening in Spain. Across Western Europe, low birth rates and urban migration have left entire regions hollowed out. Whether we like it or not, the entire cultural landscape of Western Europe is being reshaped. What you see with these older folk is a different way of being and a privilege to experience. Almost every interaction leaves me with a great lesson or a simple smile. This is hospitality and authenticity at its finest. Is this the natural evolution of Europe or is it something entirely different? An irreversible transformation? In the next videos, I take you to the continent of Africa to show you what I mean. If you want to support the channel, see the links in the description. And as always, thanks for watching and hasta luego.